A research proposal for a small scale qualitative research project on Essay

A research proposal for a small scale qualitative research project on a topic of investigaton of the student own choice - Essay Example as also been observed by scholars that women (mothers) normally would prefer to remarry within 3-5 years after separation and men (fathers) within 1-2 years of separation (Hughes, 2000). When a separation is incurred, children are left with either father or mother as a second child. There are many barriers to stepfamily members that include educational, social, and economic factors (Aronson, 1992). Keeping this in view, the present study aims to assess the perceptions of the members of the stepfamily and examine how these perceptions affect the adjustment to remarriage and stepfamily living. The study also seeks to examine whether there are any associations between the perceptions of child, the biological parent who remarried, and the stepparent. Many studies have been undertaken across the world on stepfamily and related issues. In a significant study undertaken by Wilkes and Fromme (2002) examined whether the themes in the experiences of members in the stepfamily over time is stable or not. Conducted among the adolescents, stepparents, and biological parent from different stepfamilies, the study has observed that areas that remained stable over time and areas of positive change and adjustment. In another study carried out by Cartwright (2003) among stepfamily therapists, the author observes that separated children feel loss of relationship and association with biological parents displaced by the new relationship. This area of knowledge has been empirically researched by many and several theories have been propounded. From the view point of the family systems theory, Berg (2003) addressed a question that whether the relative influence of each parent on adolescents’ self-esteem and adjustment depended primarily on the ir status as custodial, step-, or non-resident parents, and whether these influences differed for adolescents with stepmothers, compared to those with stepfathers. The study concludes that the perceived association of separated children with